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A vote to force President Donald Trump to pull back from the war in Iran failed to pass in the U.S. Senate Wednesday. The resolution faced plenty of hurdles and was largely symbolic, as Trump was almost certain to veto it. French President Emmanuel Macron has said that France will increase its number of nuclear warheads and promised more cooperation with European allies that have expressed interest. That’s “the most significant update to French nuclear deterrence policy in 30 years,” according to an analyst.
A prolonged conflict in the Middle East will dent India’s remittance flows enough to impact its economy. The Indian diaspora in the Gulf countries contributes nearly 38% to India’s total remittance inflows, according to a Citi report. Based on the inflows of $135.4 billion in the financial year 2025, the share of Gulf countries is $51.4 billion. To put it in perspective: India’s total trade surplus with the U.S. was $58.2 billion in 2025.
China on Thursday set its GDP growth target for 2026 at 4.5% to 5% — the lowest target on record going back to the early 1990s — according to a copy of the government work report seen by CNBC, as Beijing grapples with persistent deflationary pressures and trade tensions with the U.S. Defense spending will rise by 7%, the slowest increase since 2021, although analysts believe the official figures are understated.
